The kid who needed help with group work

I just read a study called “Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task.”

Researchers had students write essays using ChatGPT while measuring their brain activity. No training, no guidance. Just figure it out.

Students who started with AI first? Their brains basically went to sleep. But students who thought through ideas themselves THEN used ChatGPT? Their neural networks lit up stronger than ever.

This reminded me of that kid from school group projects. Whenever we had a group assignment he just hung around. Not really invested in discussions or well… interested at all. He performed poorly at the tests and presentations.

The study found AI-first students couldn’t even remember sentences they’d just written. But the think-first-then-collaborate kids? Strongest brain activity of all.

Working with AI is like a group assignment and this kid struggled with it. The study somewhat proved that we need different support. Similar to how that kid needed support.